The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-16
HOW TO SAVE MONEY.

600 ffOW ~ DAVE MONCI'
Rules whose Observance Would Ada
TO the Happiness OF Mankind.
Keep n cash account A very trivial
and secular suggestion, you may say,
but simple as il is, tits one the observ-
ance of which would add immensely to
the present limited amount of practical
righteousness and happiness. BY a
cash account is, meant merely an ac-
count of money received and paid out,
and not bookkeeping as in business
am aware that there is large class
of sensible and well-meaning person.
who would say Il receive so much
and try to save n little" Let me say
to such persons that BY not knowing
exactly how they spend their limited
earnings they miss learning one of the
most important lessons of life. The
habit itself of keeping accounts is a
good discipline; IL is lesson in memo
~ and order, and accuracy and bust
ness methods But more than this, it
teaches one how TO spend money. AS
money represents the greater part OF
what we do, and of our relation to the
world, we do not know what we do,
nor how we are related TO the world.
until VIC know how we spend our
money. To receive so much and spend
il for what we happen TO need, and
make no farther note of it, is like
guessing at the time of day. We in
sist to the minute on the accuracy OF
our watches, but how our income Is
divided up is guess-work. 1t would
help man amazingly to correct esti-
mate of his life if he knew accurately
| how and when and for what he spent
his money. There is no other way in
which a well-meaning man can proper
ly adjust this great factor in his LIFE.
| By an account, he can see how much
| has gone into the several departments
of expenditure, and review of 1t will
show him whether he has been wise OF
foolish. prudent or careless, true tc
himself and family and society, OF
whether he has been unequal or un-
generous or over-indulgent to any. We
apply science, and close, accurate
methods to all forms of labor; why
should we not apply them to the use
we make of the product of labor?
The poorer man is, the more he re-
| ouires this habit of accurate accounts;
the less-therev is Jo-d.vide, the more
need OF care. He thus learns at the
proper moment where to retrench, or
in what direction he may wisely spend
more. 1t saves also much trouble and
dispute. ,, Bookkeepers are not infalli-
BILE, and memory is n poor witness
against them. but when books arc kept
on both sides, misunderstanding
greatly lessened.
The habit also has distinct moral
value One who has rightly measured
human society will have consc cntious
sense Of the use of money which is inn
perative. and will approve or condemn
ones self accordingly. We could make
no better scrutiny of ourselves than to
take, at the end of year, carefully
kept account of money spent and see
how il has been used; how much for
necessities; Low much for luXuries;
how much for self; how much for
others: how much for books; how
much for passing pleasures; how
much for the good of the world and
how much for the pride of life; how
much for the body and and how much
for the mind; how much wasted and
how much used. Iabulate these, and
then lay them beside your manhood
and standard of duty and purpose in
life. and see IL they are sustained. This
is part of that self-nspection-that
moral inventory of himself that every
man should make at least once year;
for we need not only an interior look
ut ourselves. but one from the outside
and reflected by our conduct. Such 9
habit rs this would help us in the field
of minor morals where we often make
oar gravest mistakes. But aside from
this, il is habit that tends greatly "a
simplify and smooth and straighten the
details of life. 1t teaches prudence,
Judgment, foresight, and so creates an
atmosphere of dignity about the life
For money and the money side of life :
TO be treated respectfully and thorough
ly and in high lfe, business-like way:
even by those who have little of it,
Rep j. r. Munger, D. d., in. Golden
Rule.